The practice of using tablets to bolster business has gained considerable ground in many markets—with the restaurant sector topping the list as tablet POS implementation becomes increasingly common. Here are four ways restaurants can benefit from tablet POS adoption:
1. Line-busting: With a tablet POS solution in place, quick-service restaurants can assign “roving employees” to take orders and payments from customers anywhere on the premises, including the drive-through lane. This not only shortens lines and increases customer-throughput, but it also helps to bolster sales by decreasing the chance that patrons will become frustrated by long queues and wait times. Customers can and will go elsewhere if the wait is too long, so line-busting is a great way to increase your customer base.
2. Easier, enhanced tableside ordering, self-ordering and payment: Tablet POS benefits restaurants in several ways. For starters, orders can be transmitted to the kitchen faster when servers accept them tableside using tablets rather than traditional paper-based methods; the tablet skips a step and sends orders directly to the kitchen. The same is true when customers themselves can place orders using a tablet affixed to the table. Both options lead to better customer service, increasing the potential for repeat business.
Offering patrons the option of tableside ordering via a tablet also opens doors to increased sales. Customers feel more relaxed selecting from items on the menu at their own pace and may purchase more when there is no server hovering nearby. Another benefit is that additional food and drink orders can be placed without having to wait for assistance. Server productivity and customer service should improve too, as patrons who are sitting at nearby tables and prefer personal service need not wait for assistance from a server who is tied up waiting for an order.
On the payment front, tablet POS speeds up check settlement and, consequently, table turns while simultaneously boosting revenues. By some estimates, the average table turn occurs seven percent faster using tablet-based payment technology. Customers also like pay-at-the-table flexibility and look more favorably upon restaurants that provide it.
3. Self-service reservations: Some tablet POS installations include software through which customers can make reservations for a return trip to the restaurant. This is considered a hallmark of good customer service, and it ups the sales ante by generating repeat business.
4. Effective entertainment/promotions: Using tableside tablets to provide entertainment to young children—such as movies, cartoons, and games—can help attract patrons who are looking for a restaurant that accommodates people of all ages. Tablet POS technology can also be used to bring games and media content to adults at the table, encouraging them to linger longer and keep conversation flowing.
Restaurants also benefit from using tablet POS technology to supplement table tents, signage, and the like to showcase daily specials and deals. The opportunity to peruse photos and descriptions of different menu items and/or to learn about promotions on a tablet at the table piques customers’ interest, bolstering their potential to “buy in” to what is available.
Tablet POS may not be the right fit for every restaurant. However, those establishments that do jump on the bandwagon should reap tangible benefits in short order.
